The present invention is directed to a water pipe smoking device. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a self-cleaning water pipe that aids in preventing residue and particulates found in smoke from depositing on the interior surfaces of the smoking device.
People have been using water filtered smoking apparatuses for thousands of years. Most smokers that use the water pipe as their primary smoking device enjoy the large volume of smoke that is possible to intake in a single breath of air, allowing for more potent draws with less time.
Problems with the common water pipe smoking device are that it is susceptible to getting filthy fast. Once the apparatus is dirty, smokers tend to shy away from using the device because of the foul odors it emits as well as the additional harshness that breathing in foul odors entails. In addition, the water pipe will look visibly dirty to the point of being unsanitary, and will require immense time and effort to keep clean.
Traditional water pipe smoking devices consist of a main pipe having a volume of water in the bottom thereof. A top of the main pipe has a mouthpiece and a downstem passes through the side of the main pipe at or below the surface of the volume of water.
A material to be smoked, e.g., tobacco or herbs, is burned in a bowl attached to the downstem. When a user draws a breath on the mouthpiece, the smoke from the burning material is drawn through the downstem and into the volume of water. The smoke the passes through the water, exiting the surface into the interior of the main pipe. Further inhalation draws the smoke through the mouthpiece and into the user's mouth or lungs depending upon how deeply the user inhales.
Through the routine use of a water pipe, residue and particulates present in the smoke are deposited on interior surfaces of the water pipe. The residue and particulates deposited on the interior surfaces give the water pipe a cloudy, dirty, and unclean appearance, particularly in the case of transparent or translucent glass or plastic water pipes. Depending upon how frequently such residue and particulates are cleaned, the same may be difficult or impossible to remove. The surface may also be permanently stained with some of the residue.
In addition, some water pipes are too narrow and/or too fragile to clean by hand. A person seeking to clean the interior surfaces of a water pipe may not be able to reach their hand into the interior of the main pipe. While brushes and similar tools may be able to reach into smaller pipes, the residue and/or particulates may be caked on too strongly to remove without additional pressure. Furthermore, the water pipe may be constructed out of fragile material that could not withstand the vigorous pressure needed to remove some caked on residue and particulates.
Accordingly, there is a need for a water pipe that prevents deposition of residue and/or particulates from interior surfaces thereof, or, in the alternative, makes it easier to remove the same. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.